NFL Nfc North

What possess a man to leave one team that finished third in its division for another that didn't win a game the previous year?

Well, we asked cornerback Phillip Buchanon the other day why he left the Bucs, who finished third in the NFC South, for the Lions, and his answer was simple.

"I did want to stay in Florida," Buchanon said. "Tampa was going in a different direction and I truly feel like I'm still a starter, and Detroit was one of the teams that was actually there. There were a few other teams, but Tampa was taking their time and I didn't want to wait. You either want me or you don't."

Send your NFL questions (along with your name and location) to NFLFanHouse@gmail.com. Each Thursday, we'll answer the best -- or, if nothing else, most entertaining -- in our NFL Mailbag.

Excluding Brett Favre, which remaining free agent can play the biggest role in 2009?

The easy answer (INCLUDING Brett Favre!!) is Plaxico Burress. He's a high-ceiling, high-impact wide receiver. You saw the way the Giants' offense missed him at the end of 2008, and we've seen a handful of teams express interest in him -- even though nobody knows if he's going to play in 2009. If he is allowed to play, he's your answer. But it looks increasingly likely that he'll be suspended for at least part of the season, if not all. So in the non-Burress division, I have three veterans who could make an interesting impact in the right situation:

For the second time this offseason, Percy Harvin has had to skip out on a required function because he's been too sick to participate.

The first time, Harvin landed in an Atlanta hospital with severe dehydration that forced him to miss a Vikings minicamp. This time he was sent home from the NFL's rookie symposium. In both cases, Harvin did everything right -- he notified everyone who needed to be told and was excused --- but it's a little worrisome that the Vikings' first-round pick seems to be felled by the sniffles multiple times during the spring and summer. The ex-Florida Gator hasn't even started to see what a flu season during a Minnesota winter can be like.

Harvin apparently is the only NFL draftee who's not at the rookie camp, although he did report before being sent home.

Back when Tarvaris Jackson was assumed to be the long-term quarterback of the Vikings, his teammates talked around any question of whether Jackson was the right man for the job.

But now that we're just waiting for Brett Favre to make it official that he's going to be a Viking, and Sage Rosenfels is set to be the backup, it's pretty much open season for players (or player's dads) to explain what it's been like in recent years.

Yes, it's Brett Favre again. You know you can't live without him.

As more rumors circulate, and the vision of Brett Favre wearing purple gets closer and closer to becoming a reality, it stands to reason that current members of the Green Bay Packers will be asked for their thoughts on the matter. It's not likely that you'll hear many words of dissent towards Favre. That's just not the way most athletes speak nowadays. Instead, you can expect to see many guys take the high road, ala Aaron Rodgers, and others showing some love for their former teammate.

Update (June 24): Jennings' extension is officially done, according to a press release issued this afternoon by the Packers. No terms were released, other than that the deal is a "long-term" one.

The Green Bay Packers have developed a bit of a reputation. While general manager Ted Thompson has made clear through his actions (or lack thereof) that he doesn't like overpaying for free agents, he does like to reward his homegrown players with contract extensions.

While Nick Collins waits for his, wide receiver Greg Jennings is reportedly set to cash in.

One of the primary reasons that Packers general manager Ted Thompson has saved up a significant amount of cap space is what's coming up this season.

Yes, Thompson detests free agency, but he was also smart enough to see the need for cap room in the summer of 2010. A number of Packer starters will be free agents unless they get contract extensions before then. One of those, safety Nick Collins, is not at all shy about his desire for a new deal.

There are whole lot of people who deserve blame for the Lions' ineptness.

It starts with owner William Clay Ford--teams that are bad this long never have a competent owner. If filters down to former GM Matt Millen, who left a swath of destruction as a GM that may never be topped. But apparently you have to point the finger at the Lions training staff as well, if Peter King's most recent Monday Morning Quarterback can be believed.

It must be an interesting life for Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. After three years of dutifully serving as a backup quarterback, Rodgers awkwardly got his first chance to start last year when Brett Favre retired and tried to return only after the Packers had completed their offseason program.

Rodgers shocked many observers by staying healthy enough to start all 16 games, and he put up some pretty solid numbers despite his team's 6-10 season. With the onus on Rodgers and his team to continue getting better, they now have to deal with the possibility of Favre returning to play for division rival Minnesota. Fans continue to take sides, and Rodgers continues to take the high road on the matter.

If you're wondering how hard the battle lines are going to be drawn in the coming CBA negotiations between the NFL and its players, union, look no further than this spin-heavy news item. The Green Bay Packers released financial information that shows a $20.1 million profit for the fiscal year that ended March 31, and Packers CEO Mark Murphy used the occasion to cry poverty.

Players union head DeMaurice Smith has called on NFL owners to release audited financial statements to support their claim that they're struggling financially. The owners have so far refused, but the Packers, as a publicly owned franchise, are the one franchise that has no choice in the matter. Their financial information shows an increase in total revenue from $241 million to $247.9 million.

---

---